Summer Break Do and Dont's

The best part of the year has come to many college students that dedicate their hours to endless studying, revising, writing and staying focused on their degree. It's almost summer break, and we are more than ready for it.

It's time to pack your school supplies, and take a trip to visit your grandma in North Carolina. It's also the time to ride your blue bike outside, while taking advantage of the bright sun and the warm weather.

Visiting some friends over the weekend and having a picnic at the park all are great ideas for summer adventures. Write them down.

Summer break it's great; it's a time to sit back and relax for a while. But don't go forgetting all you learned in school the previous semester.

According to the National Summer Learning Association, all young people experience learning losses when they do not engage in activities during the summer. Research shows that students typically scored lowered on standardized tests at the end of the summer.

I understand that summer break means complete freedom from responsibilities at school, but you don't have to let all the hard work go undone. Stay focused even outside of school.

There are many ways students can engage in activities while they are on break, and power their brains to work even better. Students can rent books for free at the library, and enjoy a ride into the unknown.

They can write a novel over the break, or have responsibilities towards the chores at the house.
Some students prefer to take intersession classes, or summer classes as well. It's a good way to stay focused while still being able to relax and have a night out with some friends.

If you are staying local during the summer, you should invest in some classes and get some school hours out of the way.

School is here to help and motivate students to do better in life, and achieve greatness.

It's incredible that schools have implemented summer classes over the break, promoting activities on campus and assisting whenever they need.

Don't forget to be active. Research also shows that students not only lose academic knowledge during summer break, but also have the tendency to gain weight over the relaxed break. There are many ways to stay active, and to be engaged with school activities as well.

Take your dog to walk a couple times a week, or take a martial class that you are interested in. Use your time with productive activities that will help you prosper.

College years will fly by, and opportunities might not be the same. It's important to take advantage of what your school has to offer, and be fully committed to your classes.

But don't forget to have fun.

The Kylie Jenner Challenge

Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian's little sister, rapidly beautified her lips and let her fans wonder what happened to her mysterious lips.

"How did she get full, beautiful lips so fast. Did she have plastic surgery, or what?"

Her envious pout started a new trend in social media earlier this week, where teens use techniques to swell up their lips, by sucking on a shot glass or on a bottle until their blood vessels burst. The results aren't as planned, and teens are getting bruises and hickeys around their mouth. Ouch.

The hashtag #KylieJennerChallenge on Twitter has several videos with young adults getting hurt while trying to achieve the best look. Some people claim that the experience caused severe bruising, making it uncomfortable to eat, and requiring heavy make up to cover the bruises.

 Despite all the warnings, the challenge still continuous.

"I'm not here to try and encourage people or young girls to look like me or to think this is the way you should look. I want to encourage people and young girls like me to be yourself and not to be afraid to experiment with your look," Jenner said when the challenge started.

It's sad to know that young adults are hurting themselves to look like their role model, Jenner. But believe me folks, this is not the way to go.

Bruising your lips to get the perfect look is dangerous, and shouldn't be taken as a "challenge."
Remember, Jenner is not using these methods to get that pout. The 17-year-old says she gets the perfect lips by using lip liner and over lining her lips.

Even with the expectations that Jenner had plastic surgeries to enhance her beauty, she denies it when she said, "I haven't had plastic surgery. I've never been under a knife. People flashback to pictures of me when I was 12 and say 'Kylie is so different ' but how can I look the same from 12-18?"

Whether she had surgery or not, that's her own decision and she should be able to do so.

You do not need to copy your favorite artist if you feel confident with who you are.

Don't get hurt to look like somebody you are not; accept your flaws and embrace yourself.

What do you know about sex?

My parents didn't talk about sex. Ever. And honestly, I'm glad they didn't.

"Don't have sex. Because you'll get pregnant and die." A quote from the movie, Mean Girls, that soon became popular among schools and colleges.

It might be a funny quote, but truly, young adults need to learn about sex and  safety before being sexually active. Completely banning the activity will not necessary help students, but let them go uneducated about some very important topics.

We live in a modern society where matters can be spoken, such as sex, sexual diseases, sexual preferences, etc.

But are we comfortable to talk about it? We should be.

You probably weren't as comfortable as the teacher that spoke about sex when you were in high school, made you feel like you were living in another world. You were so uncomfortable that you started to blush as you saw the close ups of female and male anatomy.

Well, we don't have to be that comfortable talking about sex, but we surely need to be aware of what might happen before, during and after sex.

Interestingly enough, sex can be described as erotic touch, sex toys, pan sexual, oral sex, anal sex, sex games, fantasies, vaginal intercourse, bisexual, homosexual, heterosexual, masturbation and even kissing.

Remember, sex cannot be 100 percent safe, but it can get very close to it.

The use of a contraceptive or a barrier method is a great suggestion, but remember, it won't avoid diseases or viruses. Unfortunately, there are many sexually transmitted diseases and infections, along with venereal diseases.

HPV, herpes, HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, Hepatitis and many others are some of these issues that are curable with the use of antibiotics, while others remain in your body as long as you live. So before you engage in sexual activities, be aware of the consequences and how to avoid them as well.

In this century more sexual diseases were reported than ever before, despite schools and institutions teaching safe methods for intercourse. It's a shame that we do not take the lessons we were at school and try to apply it on a daily basis.

Next time you go to a party, be aware of how much are you drinking. Most unsafe sex happens when both participants are not sober, leading them to engage in dangerous activities.

My best advice is to communicate.

Whatever is bothering you, let your partner know how you feel.

Relationships depend on affection, love, companionship, sex and friendship.

Be open about your preferences and fears-- it will save you a lot of trouble. Be safe.

Miss Congeniality 2015

I represented my beautiful country, Brazil, last Friday at the Miss International UCO Scholarship Pageant. I won Miss Congeniality and has lots of compliments for my performance.

Thanks God for everything, I'm now the new Miss Congeniality at University of Central Oklahoma, representing the International Community.

After a long week with rehearsal, sweats, dramas, tears, laughs, and new friendships, the pageant is over. And I'm glad it is, even though I enjoyed every single moment of it.

I'm glad I could represent my culture, our hospitality and warm smile. I'm also very thankful for this amazing experience, and for all the friends made along the way.

Getting over a break up

One day you are making plans to have a family with your loved one, and the next day he is telling you he doesn't love you anymore and that he is moving to Australia. I know, sounds crazy, but it happens.

Getting over a break up is harder than you think. At first, you might be in total shock that he or she broke it off, but then the realization comes and you start to think about the good times spent traveling, cooking a delicious gluten-free meal or even going to Walmart together; things that you took for granted before, but just now you realize how precious they were.

"Get over him, he was not good enough for you anyways. He cannot be the one for you." "She is so mean to you, get over her. You'll find someone better." It's easier said than done, believe me.

People always want to tell us that everything will be alright, that we just need wine, chocolate ice cream and a good movie.

I won't lie, I do need the ice cream, but the pity talk from others won't make me feel any better-- save that for yourself.

The worst part of a broken heart, is the trust that was lost. How I am supposed to trust anybody if the person I trusted the most promised me the world, and soon turned my world upside down? They wanted to build a life with you, but suddenly had better plans ahead, and of course you were not included.

It's not going to be easy, it will take time. Maybe months, years, maybe even decades-- who knows. But most importantly-- accept the changes and move on.

Get yourself a busy schedule. Maybe take some yoga classes, go to the mall and buy all the shoes you like  and go out with your friends for a drink or two.

Try cooking yummy meals, learning a language or even taking a vacation. Change your hair or the way you used to dress. Find a floral dress that was hanging in your closet forever and maybe try to renovate your look. Blue hair maybe? Anything that can distract you will help.

Look after yourself and stay positive. The relationship might be over, but you are still alive and well, so why worry? Being single is not the end of the world.

John Legend's Inspirational Speech

John Legend proved that he is not only a singer, songwriter and actor, but also a motivational speaker.

"What does it mean to love people we don't know? To see the world through the eye of somebody else?" said Legend.

Legend has won nine Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award, but who knew he could also promote justice and fight for equality?

The artist said he was honored to be part of an amazing celebration that the University of Central Oklahoma organized for its students in order to encourage them to pursue a bright future, and find abundance in knowledge.

Legend said that love was the reason he accomplished a lot in life. He said that his family took foster children, and immersed them in music and art from a very young age.

"My parents were leaders teaching us with love," said Legend. According to him, love changes the world.

For Legend, it's important to help others do well and thrive. He believes all kids deserve excellent schools that encourage a better future.

As he became a very known artist, he decided to use his power and resources to help people in need. He said he believes that we are able to end poverty and not only survive, but also thrive.

According to him, big dreams lead to big obstacles, but victory won't came easier than to the last generation.

"We have the potential to help others. The time is now, we all need to get involved and in a big way," said Legend.

Legend also mentioned that lives are equal, and that all deserve power, life and liberty. One life shouldn't matter more than another life, but justice also demands struggle.

He said he believes students have the power, the privilege and the passion to thrive. Students should focus on extracurricular activities, internships and new ideas for a better future.

Legend said that students shouldn't be afraid to fail, or to do bad. Students should put their fears aide, and take the risks, because according to him, passion allows you to build things that endure.

"Fear is what blinds us. It whispers to us that we'll fail. It causes war. Whatever your passion is, follow it. Love yourself. Love work. Dare to love people different than you. Give your all," he said.

According to Legend, collaborations with Kanye West helped him sign a contract in 2004 and led him to think more creatively. Even though he believes Kanye West has a different personality than him, what united them was a love for art.

John  Legend sings at the University of Central Oklahoma, Constitutional Hall.

 A version of this was published at The Vista

Drug culture: Is it really cool?

The cool kids are not the kids that go to school, get good grades and listen to their parents. Most likely, those kids will be called lame or boring.

Having a future and focusing on school became a drag, when you could go to a musical festival and take a bunch of drugs. It's sad, but it's also true.

Apparently, doings drugs, going to parties and acting ruthless is a thing now. A big thing if you ask me.

It's "cool" to get drunk at parties, make out with strangers, pop pills and break your stiletto's on the way home--if they manage to find home, right?

We see teenagers wearing "dope" shirts, with offensive logos and designs that degrade themselves, and guess what: they are the trend. Don't feel scared if you are visiting California on a weekend, and get to see celebrities walking down Rodeo Drive in Hollywood with clothes that promote drugs, parties, unprotected sex and even more. 

It's frustrating that we live in a world that we care so much about what others think, instead of focusing on who we really are. I don't judge people for wearing clothes that degrade themselves, but I certainly feel that we are glorifying the ones that do bad for our society and culture.

You can see Rihanna wearing a tank top with a Marijuana leaf as she performs in New York City. Well, you can also see Miley Cyrus wearing the same thing.

Nothing against stoners, but promoting something that is still illegal, or for only medical use, is not the best way to go. Fans everywhere might want to copy the style, and also copy the habit of using the drug.

Cheating is not seen as bad as it used to be. I see so many girls gossiping about cheating and how awesome it was because they felt in control of this or that.

I seriously don't understand when cheating can be cool. Hurting a persons feelings and taking advantage of the circumstances is not fun, and far from cool.

In a NIDA-funded research, it shows that teenagers are more likely to take risks if their friends are watching, because the rewards are more important than the fear they might have. It leads teenagers to embrace ruthless activities as well as dangerous ones.

Peer pressure can lead teens to do things they are not willing to do on their own. Who wants to be called a quitter when you can be cool as your friends, right? 

We all want to be part of a group, and feel as we belong there. 

I can say big words about peer pressure, but don't think I'm the best role model. I also have done things only because I thought I would be cool and liked, but I definitely learned from my mistakes.

Next time you hear a hit about popping molly in the bathroom or backstage of a concert, be aware of the consequences of the act itself. Don't lose yourself trying to be cool. 

You are cool the way you are by going to school, getting good grades and listening to your parents-- it's not that bad anyways. Be you. 

A version of this was published at The Vista.