Samantha Rodriguez

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels

an aspiring journalist & filmmaker

I'm an Undergraduate student at the University of Miami, majoring in Television Writing and Journalism. Scroll below to see my exciting articles and broadcasts!

The Miami Hurricane •

A viral ‘The Office’ themed wedding is not a joke, Jim

Zach and Nicole Burgh wanted a wedding like no other. They chose the perfect cake, tux and gown, but something was missing.

“We wanted [the wedding] to feel like us,” Nicole said. “We wanted to capture who we are and our circle of people.”

They brainstormed ways to make a wedding so entertaining, they could turn it into a bedtime story for their future kids. Then, it finally hit them.

“Zach brought it up first,” Nicole said. “He was like, ‘Well, what if we do it in 'The Office' style?’”...
The Miami Hurricane •

Alexis Garcia flexes his brass knuckles with ‘A Working Man’

Alexis Garcia has seen everything in the entertainment business. It’s easy to lose track of original ideas when you’ve been in the industry for over 20 years. 

With his new film label, CAT5, backed by Fifth Season, the studio behind Apple TV’s “Severance,” and production company, Brass Knuckles Films, founded with “Sin City” director Robert Rodriguez, Garcia aims to bring new heart-pumping action to the forefront. 

He’s already crushing the competition. “A Working Man,” CAT5’s first projec...
University of Miami School of Law •

Barbara Brown goes into the heart of property law with Robert Traurig-Greenberg LL.M. in Real Property Development

The School of Law's Robert Traurig/Greenberg Traurig LL.M. in Real Property Development has been globally ranked as a real estate law program by the LL.M. Guide. It's easy to see why.

Students learn real estate law in-depth and explore land acquisition, construction law, and planning strategies in one of America's hottest real estate markets in 2025. They take their skills to the outside world by working with the School of Architecture to work on case studies and look at property law from a busi...
UMTV •

Reel Talk | Episode 3 Danny Ramirez of Captain America: Brave New World + BTS with Anthony Mackie

Welcome to Reel Talk Episode 3! In this exciting episode, we sit down with Danny Ramirez, who plays a key role in the highly anticipated Captain America: Brave New World. Get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at what went into making this epic new chapter in the Captain America saga, as Danny shares insights into his character, his experiences on set, and what fans can expect from the film.
University of Miami School of Law •

School of Law team wins inaugural Canes Contract Challenge

Third-year law student Lauren Skidmore believes the best learning happens outside the classroom. She put her philosophy into practice by helping to organize the first Canes Contract Challenge for local law students. Teams received negotiation prompts at the competition and had to think through them critically. Drafting contracts against the clock placed the students in a real-life law scenario. 

With the assistance of Marcia Narine Weldon, director of the Transactional Skills Program, adjunct fa...
The Miami Hurricane •

An eye-opening trip through Black history at the Black History 101 Mobile Museum

A Ku Klux Klan mask captured the eyes of attendees at the Black History Mobile Museum at the University of Miami’s Lakeside Auditorium on Feb. 6. Visitors went from seeing Jim Crow era memorabilia to photos of the 2020 Black Lives Matters protests as they traveled through time following the exhibit.

Though the journey ends on a hopeful note, exhibit organizer Dr. Khalid el-Hakim wants viewers to leave knowing there’s still work to do to preserve Black rights in America.

“It’s for students...
The Miami Hurricane •

‘A beacon of hope and love’: Remembering Professor Kathryn Sue Freeman

University of Miami Professor Kathryn Sue Freeman, known for making the stresses of her English students fade away with just a smile, died in her sleep at home on Jan. 24, 2025.

“My mind was rejecting it,” Rafaela Ochoa, one of Freeman’s past students, said. “I didn’t believe it.”

Freeman received her bachelor’s and doctorate in English literature from Yale before coming to UM as an assistant professor in 1992. Freeman has taught thousands of students over the years, though, being an educa...
The Miami Hurricane •

How Miami made ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ star Danny Ramirez

Actor Danny Ramirez dreamt of leaving Miami when he was eighteen. Having touched ground in the 305 for the second time in years on Feb. 16 after leaving to study acting in New York, he’s surprised he ever left.

To Ramirez, there’s no Miami without the ‘U.’ Ramirez has been a ’Cane’s football fan since first grade. Seeing Santana Moss, a ’Canes wide receiver, play one of his best games while on a Boy Scouts trip showed him heroes can come from Miami too. 

Now, Ramirez is a Miami hero of his...
The Miami Hurricane •

Orange Umbrella’s Super Bowl ad shows Doritos are the chip that counts

Doritos have been a staple Super Bowl snack for decades. The University of Miami’s Orange Umbrella reinvented the iconic brand as not just a chip, but a lifestyle in the student-run ad agency’s ad submission for Doritos’ Crash the Super Bowl contest.

Unfortunately, they didn’t make it into the final round. Still, Mavorah is confident the agency will never forget the experience and Orange Umbrella looks forward to trying again next year with more tricks up its sleeve.

The contest invites cr...
The Miami Hurricane •

Turning pain into peace: Director Kim Snyder breaks down Oscar-nominated documentary on Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting

Every time Samantha Fuentes enters a room she looks for the exits. Then, she identifies all the places where a shooter could barge in.  It’s a habit she’s had since seeing two of her classmates shot and killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas on Feb. 14, 2018.

Fuentes had hoped to leave the worst day of her life behind until she was subpoenaed to testify at the shooter’s sentencing trial in 2022. 

“Sorry, here’s an obvious question,” Fuentes asked the state prosecutors in a virtual meeting. “[T...
University of Miami School of Law •

Vietnamese Young ICCA scholar travels the world to practice arbitration

Hailing from Vietnam, Ha My Linh has been named the 2024-2025 Young ICCA Scholarship winner, which provides one full tuition award each year to the White & Case International Arbitration Program at the University of Miami School of Law.

At 18 years old, Linh had no idea what to do with her life. Her life changed when her sister told her she was good at arguing and should become a lawyer. Since then, her destiny has been clear to her.

Linh enrolled in the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam to earn her...
The Miami Hurricane •

UM’s TikTok takeover attracted the incoming class

Most freshmen look at #umiami on TikTok to see what their dream first day on campus can look like. With most posts showing gorgeous weather, state-of-the-art amenities and a vibrant city at your doorstep, it is no surprise TikTok has spotlighted the University of Miami.

With the previously proposed TikTok ban almost preventing the opportunity for freshmen to see what being a ’Cane is all about, the University could have lost an invaluable marketing tool and vital connection to the next genera...
The Miami Hurricane •

University of Miami professor wins $50,000 grant from the Miami Film Festival - The Miami Hurricane

Margaret Cardillo, an award-winning author, filmmaker and University of Miami professor, earned the top $50,000 prize from the Miami Film Festival’s The Louies competition, to create her upcoming documentary.

The contest awards documentary filmmakers funding grants and a premier spot in this year’s upcoming festival.

Cardillo will continue her lifelong work of documenting powerful women in history by telling the story of Jane Chastain, the nation’s first female sports broadcaster.

With...
University of Miami School of Law •

First-generation student is inspiration to his family

David “Didi” Malka started his college career as a frightened, first-generation freshman with an undeclared major in a sea of 70,000 students at the University of Central Florida. Now, as a 2L at the University of Miami School of Law, he's standing out and showing his family what chasing your dreams looks like.

In 2018, Malka had no one in his family to turn to for college advice. He learned to deal with college pressure and final exam stress by discovering a campus community that helped him rea...
University of Miami School of Law •

Miami Law environmental fellow and lecturer looks to usher a new wave of legal climate advisers

In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines. Renee Valerie Fajardo heard towns were leveled and volunteered for disaster relief efforts. After learning citizens had to face the life-changing tragedy alone, she knew she had to do more.

Fajardo then enrolled at Vermont Law School to get her J.D. and Master of Environmental Law and Policy degrees. She was introduced to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, a treaty guiding global climate change relief efforts...
The Miami Hurricane •

Go around the world with Emmy-winning comedian Vir Das

Vir Das will bring his global comedy style to The Parker in Fort Lauderdale on Nov. 21 for his “Mindfool” tour. See the laugh out loud comedian that has made audiences roar on “The Daily Show” and “CONAN.”

Das will share his struggles practicing mindfulness and being a child in an adult’s body in “Mindfool.” He aims to show Fort Lauderdale how he missed that chapter in adulting.

Das takes the world with him wherever he goes. He grew up in India and Africa and then moved to America and the...
University of Miami School of Law •

Miami Law student takes his military experience to the courtroom

Joint J.D./LL.M. maritime law student Craig Kochheiser knew he would serve in the military when he was 6 years old. Speaking with veteran teachers in high school and at Florida State University solidified his desire and helped him find a purpose in service. 

He underwent a rigorous selection process that lasted more than a year to join the U.S. Army Special Forces.  He was deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Central America as an intelligence sergeant.

Kochheiser was interested in the various int...
The Miami Hurricane •

Get ready for the 2024 Miami GEMS film festival

Lights, camera, festival! The Miami GEMS Film Festival is back with possible Oscar-nominated films and appearances from award-winning actors.

See Saorise Ronan’s acclaimed performance in “Blitz” on Oct. 30. The Academy and British Academy of Film and Televisions Arts nominee leads the drama in her most dynamic role yet.

The “Little Woman” and “Lady Bird” star plays Rita, a mother who sends her 9-year-old child to the English countryside to take him away from the dangers of World War II....
University of Miami School of Law •

Winners of the John T. Gaubatz moot court competition revealed

Two teams entered the Newman Alumni Center on Oct. 22 knowing only one would win the John T. Gaubatz Moot Court Competition. By the night's end, the team of second-year students Fernando Yzquierdo and Tori Vasquez were crowned the winners.

2L and 3L students pair up for the annual event to compete for victory and join the Charles C. Papy, Jr. Moot Court Board. Competing teams must file appellate briefs and debate in oral rounds. Over 120 judges evaluated competitors until the two final teams rem...
The Miami Hurricane •

Will ‘The Apprentice’ change the outcome of the 2024 election?

“The Apprentice,” a film based on Donald Trump’s early life, made headlines before its release for its controversial depiction of Trump. It calls the current Republican presidential candidate’s character into question by looking back at his real estate conquests in the 1980s. 

Will it deter undecided voters from electing him this November?

The drama follows a young Donald Trump, played by Sebastian Stan, in his early conquests in the real estate industry. Notorious attorney Roy Cohn, playe...
The Miami Hurricane •

’Canes care for ’Canes: How the Ibis spirit stays alive in hurricane season

Marissa Zerbo Condello, president of the Orlando ’Canes alumni board, distracted her children with legos as Hurricane Milton beat against their house — until something crashed on the roof.

“We all huddled in the downstairs bedroom when the noise was very scary,” Condello said.

When she found out it was a solar panel that landed in her yard, she knew this hurricane season would be different.

Hurricanes Milton and Helene were some of the most disastrous storms Florida has had to face. Tho...
University of Miami School of Law •

3L student puts her passion into action in her third year

Samara Spiler knew she wanted to help change the world. As an international relations major at the University of Texas, she worked to impact the forefront of global policy.

Writing a thesis on the power of microloans to women in developing countries expanded her worldview. Completing her minor in international business helped her realize the world is too big to spend life sitting behind a desk.

After graduating, she worked at Google, then decided to enter law school, looking to test herself.
"I...
Load More
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."

Maya Angelou