Amiallana Justus's Journalism Portfolio

About Me

My name is Amiallana Justus and I am a double major in Criminal Justice and Print Journalism with a minor in Theatre here at University of Central Florida. I am graduating Fall of 2025! With an eye for crime, I have always wanted to be an Investigative Reporter to help bring closure to families and to uncover hidden truths. I hope to gain experience in both of these intriguing fields and to help bring the truth and facts in my work. This website is dedicated to the stories I've written and visuals I have taken throughout my time here at University of Central Florida. I hope to continue my time writing and solving cases the more I advance into my journalism career and grow as a journalist.

My Latest Work

The Charge •

UCF students plant flags along Reflecting Pond to acknowledge suicide deaths

More than 1,200 yellow and green flags covered the area around the Reflecting Pond at UCF following the school's Field of Memories event on Wednesday in remembrance of those who have died from suicide.The flags placed by students featured encouraging messages ranging from “You are not alone!” and “It will get better!” to help students who might be feeling detached from the world. The Downtown Campus held a Field of Memories event during the same time.
Jeffrey McCary, a licensed clinical...
The Charge •

UCF hosts RSO fair to kick off Family Weekend

Incoming UCF freshmen and their families filled the Pegasus Ballroom on Friday to learn more about UCF and different registered student organizations during the first day of UCF's Family Weekend.According to the Family Weekend itinerary, more than 70 RSOs attended the event, from the Knights Rock Band to the Taekwondo Club at UCF.
Family Weekend included events such as fun activities with prize spinners, candies, gifts and the opportunity for students to walk around with their families a...
The Charge •

Culinary competition aids future potential Rosen students

The ProStart Culinary Team Competition helps high schoolers get hands-on professional experience in the culinary field, and has inspired the future of Rosen College culinary majors and their careers.This annual event was held on March 8-9, where over 400 students competed, and the top schools were awarded more than $1.6 million in scholarships at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando.
The students that received recognition for their efforts in the competition were judged on different dishes t...
The Charge •

UCF hosts Florida French Horn Festival

The 2025 French Horn Festival brought masterclasses and a guest artist for students and attendees from across Florida to the Rehearsal Hall building Saturday morning.Michelle Baker, the featured artist of this year's festival, said that growing confidence as a French horn player is important for succeeding in the entertainment industry and learning more about techniques as a player. 
“When playing the French horn, it’s important to take it back to the basics of time and error throughout...
The Charge •

UCF assistant professor hits the piano keys, igniting student inspiration

Different styles of piano could be heard at the Rehearsal Hall on campus where Assistant Professor of Piano Dr. Sun-A Park played her emotions through her fingers as she touched the keys, creating different tunes of music for students and guests to enjoy.Park said that she has been playing piano since the age of four and has always had a passion for the instrument.
"Since I was born, someone in my family was always singing or playing the piano which sparked my interest in this instrument...
The Charge •

UCF Theatre dissects the meaning behind "The Last Firefly"

UCF students put on "The Last Firefly," a play that opened Feb. 27 at the UCF Black Box Theatre, with themes consisting of finding the inner strength to face personal demons and that even the smallest things can make a huge difference in the world.Leigh Green, co-director of The Last Firefly, said that a part of her master's degree program is to put on a show for the UCF audience. She is in her second year of the master's program for Theatre for Young Audiences, which is a highly competitive thr...
The Charge •

Chroma Culture returns, showcasing the arts for LGBTQ+ community

A variety of music played as bands at UCF came out to perform and students showcased their artistic side at Chroma Culture Wednesday night at Memory Mall.Crystal Murphree, outreach coordinator of Lavender Council and senior social work major, said that the goal of Chroma Culture was to create a safe space for queer students and give them a chance to have their voices be heard. 
“Especially with the political climate in Florida, we wanted to make sure that we can keep our space open for t...
The Charge •

Mei-Shyuan Chiou performs six-mallet technique for UCF students

Students learned about the art of percussion through a professional marimba performance at the Performance Arts Center Music building on Thursday evening.Mei-Shyuan Chiou, doctoral musical arts student at Michigan State University and guest percussionist artist, said that she wanted to perform at UCF because of the prestigious music program and the talented percussion students she saw through UCF’s social media.
“It’s my first time in Orlando and the way I have seen the students interact...
The Charge •

UCF’s Downtown Student Life hosts a Glow Jam

Colorful lights and glow sticks were seen all over the downtown campus at UCF’s Downtown Student Life Glow Jam event on Thursday night.Abdullah Dankano, programming coordinator of Downtown Student Life, said he wanted to host this Glow Jam event to get students from Valencia College and UCF to bond and enjoy a time of mingling and fun.
“It’s nice to have the students of Valencia and UCF come together," Dankano, a junior industrial engineer, said. “Being able to have students come togethe...
The Charge •

Students share appreciation for UCF-Orlando Jazz Festival

Smooth jazz played to a full house on both nights of the 18th annual UCF-Orlando Jazz Festival in the Nicholson School of Communication and Media auditorium on Friday and Saturday.Christina Zamora, sophomore aerospace engineering major, said music encouraged her to break out of her shell and understand that similar to jazz music, students are trying to figure out their life through the ups and downs that college brings.  
“Jazz music is kind of messy and there are a lot of mistakes,” Zam...
The Charge •

Multicultural Student Center puts on karaoke for students to enjoy

Vibrant music, arts and crafts and the sound of students chatting filled the Multicultural Student Center's karaoke event in the Student Union on Feb. 17. Sarah Accius, senior legal studies and public relations double major and outreach director for MSC, said this event brought unity to UCF students by letting them be themselves and gave them time to hang out with other students who are looking to expand their horizons. 
“I think this event brings connection, unity and fun,” Accuis said....
The Charge •

BCM hosts Galentine's Day for Valentine's Day

Baptist Collegiate Ministries hosted a Galentine's Day get-together at the Reflecting Pond to on Monday to celebrate Valentine's Day.Julianna Diaz, senior industrial engineering and president of BCM, said the focus of this event was to show the girls on campus that they are loved, wanted by God and wanted by their loved ones. 
“We wanted to do a special night where we can remind girls that they have a community that loves them,” Diaz said. “Valentine’s is formally usually portrayed as ro...
The Charge •

College prom gives students a new experience

With purple flashing lights and blaring music on the dance floor, UCF students got the opportunity to participate in the Secret Garden Prom that Late Knights organized in the Pegasus Ballroom on Friday night.Megan Dever, senior history major and executive director of Late Knights, said she wanted to host this prom event to give those who missed it due to COVID-19, or other personal reasons, the opportunity to enjoy a college prom.“Since I am a senior, I was in the high school graduating class th...
The Charge •

Celebrating the Lunar New Year at UCF

Red and yellow dragons danced around the Pegasus Ballroom as UCF students watched the Celestial Lion Dancers perform in amazement. This was part of the Lunar New Year celebration event hosted by multiple student organizations in the Student Union on Sunday. The evening consisted of live performances, cultural food and many activities. The Lunar New Year is a celebration in Asian cultures that marks the beginning of spring and a new year based on the lunisolar calendar. It also symbolizes the cha...
The Charge •

Book talk by UCF professor highlights conflict in Kashmir

A UCF South-Asian literature professor described her first visit to Kashmir as something beautiful, yet sad at the same time. As tensions in the region remain throughout decades of conflict, Dr. Amrita Ghosh said she recalled seeing barbed wire in communities where children grow up, and it made her think about the type of world they are growing up in.
Ghosh talked about her experiences as part of her book talk Thursday hosted by UCF for her new book "Kashmir Necropolis" published last De...
The Charge •

Rent the musical at UCF transports audience to the '90s AIDS epidemic

The musical Rent, a heart-wrenching outlook on artists suffering from HIV, was put on display by UCF’s Theatre of College of Arts and Humanities with their first rendition Thursday to bring awareness to the disease, AIDS."It’s not about letting your disease take control of your life,” Sienna Weir, senior musical theatre major, said. “It’s about living with it and finding peace within that."
Rent showcases the talents of the actors and stage crew while exploring the reality of the AIDS cr...

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