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Central Florida Lifestyle Magazine •

An Incredible Honor: Final Space Shuttle Crew Reunites for 15th Anniversary

Fifteen years ago, NASA ended an era in human space flight.

Space Shuttle Atlantis touched down in July 2011 after completing STS-135, the final mission of the orbiter, and marked the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program with commander Christopher Ferguson, pilot Douglas Hurley, mission specialist Sandra Magnus, and mission specialist Rex Walheim aboard.

The crew reunited since launch to commemorate the mission’s 15th anniversary underneath the orbiter at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Visitor Complex on Saturday afternoon. When it came to the historic ending of the nearly 13-day voyage, Hurley described the emotion in a few words.
Central Florida Lifestyle Magazine •

How Second Harvest Food Bank Prepares During Hurricane Season

The continental United States, including Florida, dodged a bullet last year. No hurricanes made landfall during the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season for the first time since 2015, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

However, as the Sunshine State is currently in hurricane season, local organizations like Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida continue to prepare for potential incoming storms.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida is a nonprofit organization that fights hunger by storing and distributing food to a network of more than 800 feeding partners across several counties.
Central Florida Lifestyle Magazine •

Come Out With Pride Celebrates Black Queer Community in ‘Love & Liberation’ Event

Cheers and laughter echoed the Orlando Central Florida Fairgrounds Pavilion on Saturday, June 20, in the afternoon, as two communities came together to celebrate Juneteenth and Pride month.

Come Out With Pride Orlando hosted Love & Liberation: A Boldly Unapologetic Juneteenth Pride Celebration, a free event honoring Black identity and LGBTQIA+ pride for its seventh year.
Central Florida Lifestyle Magazine •

Cocina 214 in Winter Park Created 15 years of Memories Before Closing

Hosting a surprise wedding ceremony, a couple renewing their wedding vows, and throwing a Cinco de Mayo block party.

These were the memories Winter Park Tex-Mex restaurant Cocina 214 helped create before closing its doors on Friday, May 29, after 15 years of service.

Cocina 214 announced in a statement that its landlord has sold the building to new owners and will begin processing their concept once the lease ends on Monday, June 1. The Cocina 214 owners scouted sites to relocate, though they have not found a place, the statement says.
The Charge News •

UCF College of Sciences community mourns the loss of Jane Goodall

Dr. Jane Goodall, a world-renowned primatologist, conservationist and humanitarian, was laid to rest on Wednesday at Washington National Cathedral after having died in October at age 91 from natural causes.

The news of Goodall's death had an immediate impact on members of the UCF community, from faculty to students.

Dr. Christina Kwapich, a UCF biology assistant professor, said she felt a great sense of loss after reading a headline on the Apple News app.

After sharing the article in a GroupMe chat with her research lab members, students and postdoctoral researchers, Kwapich described everyone as “devastated” and said the news was a shock to all of them.

“I immediately thought this is a giant of that era who's now gone,” Kwapich said.
Oviedo Community News •

Flashpoint's origin story: An escape from Cuba and a grandfather's American dream – Oviedo Community News

Danny Martinez did not believe comic book stores existed any longer growing up. Watching the portrayal of those stores on television shows, such as “The Simpsons,” led him to think it was only around in the 1980s and early 1990s.

At the time, Danny and his brother, Alex Morales, often went to a GameStop at the Palm Beach Lakes Mall, where they lived at the time. Not only did he enjoy the feeling of buying a new video game, but also the camaraderie of talking about them with other enthusiasts. Danny wanted to work at GameStop when he grew up, but Morales mocked the idea, telling him it was not a career.

After moving to Orlando in 2011, Danny said he was pleasantly surprised to discover multiple comic book stores in the area, and a place he once thought was gone became reality.
The Charge News •

UCF history professor encourages creative learning through course-themed simulation game

Reaching the final stretch of a college semester may be relieving for some students, but that’s not what UCF associate professor Yovanna Pineda saw firsthand. 

The sight of tired students inspired Pineda to create the “Performative Experience of Democracy Simulation” game in 2015, turning what she referred to as "sleepy heads" into fierce researchers. 

“The last month or two weeks, everyone's tired,” Pineda said. “So having a game like this toward the end peps up everybody.”