Luis Xavier De Peña

Reporter, Producer, Photographer

The Charge •

Florida Amendment 3 could pass marijuana from medical to recreational

There are nine amendments Florida residents could install into law this general election and Amendment 3 is one of the two controversial topics on the ticket.If passed, Florida Amendment 3 would allow for the personal and recreational use of marijuana for adults 21 and over in the state. This amendment would allow for the possession, purchase or use of marijuana products for non-medical personal consumption. It would also allow Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers and other state-licensed entitie...
The Charge •

UCF made up less than 1% of Orange County's primary voter turnout

UCF did not charge into the primary election Aug. 20, along with more than roughly 80% of Orange County's registered voters who did not show up to vote.The Orange County Supervisor of Elections office voter turnout summary showed that UCF’s polling location at Live Oak Center, Precinct 538, saw a total of 18 out of 404 registered voters, which can include students, faculty and staff. The UCF precinct made up 0.014% of votes cast in Orange County when calculated against total voter turnout....
The Charge •

VP debate series: College Democrats at UCF host watch party and play bingo

In a small, dimly lit classroom in UCF's Business Administration building, student Democrats were actively focused on a livestream projected in room 121 featuring the two vice presidential candidates in a debate that could determine the winner of the November election.College Democrats at UCF hosted a vice presidential debate watch party Tuesday night to watch the debate between Republican candidate Sen. JD Vance of Ohio and Democratic candidate Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota. Students started gathe...
The Charge •

UCF students attend boot camp to learn what it takes to start an organizational campaign

UCF students took to the streets and learned how to organize campaigning efforts Saturday at the Yes on 4 Organizing Bootcamp to teach students how to canvass for political issues ahead of the Nov. 5 election.The event was hosted by People Power For Florida and Yes on 4 at the Mathematical Sciences building at 10 a.m. and was focused on how to canvass in support of Amendment 4. Gabriel Gómez, youth organizing manager for Yes on 4, led the boot camp.
The boot camp aimed at educating stude...
Watermark Online •

Queer gamers come together for Anime Festival Orlando - Watermark Online

ORLANDO | Anime Festival Orlando took over the Rosen Plaza convention center June 28-30 bringing fans of Japanese animation and gaming together.


Watermark caught up in person with Charlette Gaymer Network to get their reaction on interactions at their hosted events and their thoughts about LGBTQ+ representation at the convention.


Leading up to the convention Watermark spoke to Jonny Saldana, co-founder of CGN, introducing readers to the organization. Saldana moderated the “Allyship: How to...
Watermark Online •

PHOTOS: Anime Festival Orlando wraps up Pride Month with festival - Watermark Online

ORLANDO | Queer fans of anime and gaming gathered as part of the 2024 Anime Festival Orlando at the Rosen Plaza convention center June 28-30.


The 3-day convention featured several LGBTQ+-focused panels and events including topics such as diversity in gaming, how to be an effective ally, gender in anime and more. The weekend also featured a drag race competition hosted by Oriana Perón and party games hosted by the Charlotte Gaymers Network.


Check out our photos from the festival below.


P...
Watermark Online •

PHOTOS: St Pete Pride’s Friday Night Concert with Sasha Colby - Watermark Online

ST. PETERSBURG | St Pete Pride kicked off its signature weekend of events June 21, welcoming nearly 2,000 people to Jannus Live for this year’s Friday Night Concert.


More than four hours of entertainment began at 6 p.m., emceed by Daddy Sparkle and Mr. Vyn Suazion. Among other fan favorites, Brianna Summers, Mr. and Miss Tampa Pride 2024, Jay Miah, Daphne Ferraro and members of the 2023 and 2024 St Pete Pride Royal Courts performed.


The evening concluded with a headlining performance from...
Watermark Online •

Sara Elizabeth Grossman introduces her first children's book with a puppy themed Paw-ty - Watermark Online

KISSIMMEE, Fla. | White Rose Books in Kissimmee hosted a book reading paw-ty for Sara Elizabeth Grossman’s first children’s book, “Schnauzer in a Sweater-Vest,” on June 13.


“Schnauzer in a Sweater-Vest” tells the story of Grossman’s dog, Baxter, going to the Pride parade with his friends. While on the way there they meet other puppy friends and learn what makes them unique.


White Rose owners, Tania Galiñanes and Erin Decker, held the event to allow LGBTQ+ youth see themselves represented i...
Watermark Online •

PHOTOS: SAK Comedy Lab celebrates new Orlando location with grand opening event - Watermark Online

ORLANDO | SAK Comedy Lab opened the doors of its new location at 55 W. Church St. in Orlando June 8 to a packed house.


Housing a 180-seat auditorium, the foyer features a street facade with images of past productions and cast members on the walls reminiscent of flyers placed on the side of buildings.


The comedy lab opened the first show of the space with a ribbon cutting ceremony with some words by founders Terry Olson and Dave Russell.


“SAK has always been creative, and it is amazing t...
Watermark Online •

PHOTOS: Crowds cheer for LGBTQ+ sports at The Pride Cup 2024 - Watermark Online

ORLANDO | The Pride Cup, an annual LGBTQ+ multi-sport competition held during Red Shirt Pride Days June 1-2 in Orlando, was a huge success for the KindRED Pride Foundation.


With events welcoming all levels of athletes, the spirit of the competition was “Be Kind Champion.”


This year’s Pride Cup featured a day of golf, an event in partnership with The Pride Chamber, at Dubsdread on May 31 and a series of tournaments for basketball, cornhole, kickball, pickleball, soccer and volleyball June 1...
Watermark Online •

Zebra Youth prepares for 4th annual LGBTQ+ Youth Pride Prom

Zebra Youth is gearing up for its annual LGBTQ+ youth Pride Prom, with this year’s theme “Masquerade,” at The Plaza Live June 14.

Established in 2010, Zebra Youth is a local nonprofit organization that provides drop-in services for housing and mental health counseling to between 300-350 queer youth per year.

“We have a lot of activities and events throughout the year that help youth connect with one another and one of them being our upcoming Pride prom,” says Heather Wilkie, executive director
Watermark Online •

Orlando Fringe Review: 'A Nerdy Gay Juggling Show' - Watermark Online

Juggler Jacob D’Eustachio opened the dress rehearsal to his one-man, circus-style comedy show to press and sponsors of Fringe on May 14.


The show is an endearing mix of juggling and comedy that takes Fringe viewers on a journey through D’Eustachio’s life from coming out as gay to becoming a successful juggler. Attendees will hear tales from D’Eustachio’s early life to his time traveling through locations such as Quebec, India and Texas where the performer worked and honed his craft.


D’Eust...
Watermark Online •

VIDEO: Kansas City Chiefs' Harrison Butker receives backlash for commencement speech

Harrison Butker, the kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs, is receiving backlash following a commencement speech he gave over the weekend.

The Benedictine College commencement speech was posted to YouTube May 11. Critics of the speech have been progressively posting on various social media platforms.

Butker, 28, touched on multiple topics commenting on issues such as abortion, IVF, COVID lockdowns and Pride Month. While taking jabs at the previous topics, the majority of his speech and subsequent
Watermark Online •

PHOTOS: Orlando Fringe kicks off 33rd festival with ribbon cutting, teaser show

ORLANDO | Orlando Fringe kicked off its 33rd festival May 14 in the Universal Orlando Theatre of the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre.

The festival officially started with a teaser show comprised of 1-minute scenes and vignettes of upcoming productions. The show opened with a ribbon cutting featuring Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and City Commissioner Patty Sheehan.

Other notable audience members were Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings, former Congresswoman Val Demings and Florida Rep. Anna V. Eskaman
NSM.today •

UCF student uses video game project as cultural preservation tool

One UCF student at the downtown campus is finding a way to utilize a video game to preserve and share her culture.

Lolita Kuznietsova is a senior digital media major in the game design track at UCF’s downtown campus who showcased a prototype for a narrative-based game at Student Research Week last month in the Pegasus Ballroom.

Originally from Dnipro in central Ukraine, Kuznietsova moved to Orlando roughly four years ago to attend UCF. The last time she visited home was back in 2021, just befo
NSM.today •

VR Sculpting Workshop at UCF Downtown campus

The Maker Space took students into virtual reality for a brief workshop about sculpting in VR on Wednesday at the Communications and Media Building.

Dr. John Murray, assistant professor of Games and Interactive Media, walked students through the introduction of utilizing VR for the creation of 3D-printed models.

“We focused primarily on how to create models that were appropriate for 3D printing,” Dr. Murray said. “So things that had the right features, low amounts of details, and that could be
NSM.today •

UCFPD delivers doughnuts for the Special Olympics

UCF Police Department used doughnuts to raise money for the Special Olympic Florida Summer Games ahead of the Law Enforcement Torch Run later this year.

Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics is the world’s largest sports organization for children and adults with learning disabilities. The Special Olympics history page breaks down a complete history of important events that brought this event to life.

The Special Olympics website also lists the extensive number of partners
NSM.today •

Library inventory issue felt throughout UCF community

Cancelled renovations to the Automated Retrieval Center at John C. Hitt Library are causing seismic issues across the UCF community.

Phase 2A of a four-part planned expansion of the ARC was canceled due to budgetary reasons, an anonymous source in the history department said. The expansion of the ARC on the fourth floor would have eased a current inventory issue at the library due to a lack of storage.

"And so now library has hit capacity, so to speak," said Sarah Bousfield, Graduate Student A
Watermark Online •

Local Artist Spotlight: A chat with Central Florida performer Fo'i Meleah - Watermark Online

Luis Xavier De Peña is a student at the University of Central Florida and was one of Watermark’s interns this summer. As one of his final assignments, he sat down with his longtime friend (like, they’ve known each other since preschool), Central Florida performer Fo’i Meleah.


I have had an endless amount of fun discovering new events and meeting new people to report on over the last three months. As a parting gift I would like to share an aspect of the city I hold dear.


Going to performanc...
Watermark Online •

Local Artist Spotlight: A chat with Central Florida performer Fo'i Meleah

Luis Xavier De Peña is a student at the University of Central Florida and was one of Watermark’s interns this summer. As one of his final assignments, he sat down with his longtime friend (like, they’ve known each other since preschool), Central Florida performer Fo’i Meleah.

I have had an endless amount of fun discovering new events and meeting new people to report on over the last three months. As a parting gift I would like to share an aspect of the city I hold dear.

Going to performances t
Watermark Online •

PHOTOS: Watermark's July Third Thursday raises funds for Come Out With Pride - Watermark Online

ORLANDO | Watermark’s July Third Thursday social networking mixer was hosted at Savoy Orlando July 20, benefiting Come Out with Pride.


Savoy featured a sampling of their lunch menu found at Ivanhoe 1915 as the light bites.


Many local businesses donated gifts to be a part of the raffle including show tickets to “Dreamgirls” at the Garden Theatre, Tegan and Sara at Hard Rock Live, “Lizzie – the Rock Musical” at The Abbey as well as many other items like gift certificates to Fairvilla, The Po...
Watermark Online •

Orlando drag performer Leigh Shannon discusses drag on local PBS news program

Martin “Leigh Shannon” Fugate appears on WUCF TV’s “NewsNight” to discuss the state of drag in Florida. (Screenshot from “NewsNight” episode on PBS.org)

ORLANDO | Local drag performer and Watermark contributor, Martin “Leigh Shannon” Fugate appeared in a recorded interview on WUCF TV’s “NewsNight” July 14 as a part of the station’s look at the ongoing fight between Florida’s conservative lawmakers and the state’s drag community.

The story, which focused on the lawsuit filed by Hamburger Mary’s
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