Nora

I'm a student at the University of Georgia and will be graduating in May with bachelor's degrees in Spanish and journalism. A native of Jacksonville, FL, the thing I miss most about the Sunshine State is riding my bike on the beach.

However, watching a good movie always puts me in a good mood whether it is an 80s romance like Say Anything with cutie John Cusack (known as Johnny Q. by me and my friends) or a suspenseful thriller like Seven with the amazing Morgan Freeman and pretty-boy Brad Pitt.

I don't stop at American movies, though. After taking Diego del Pozo's class in Spanish film, I have become somewhat of an expert and love watching films in my mother's native tongue (she is so proud). Spanish film may not have all the action, but it's definitely packed with sentiment. I was first exposed to Pedro Almodovar's Volver in a Valencian theater during my summer in Spain and fell in love. Princesas and La Lengua de las Mariposas are among some of my Spanish favorites and as with Volver, can be found on shelves here in the U.S.

When it comes to TV, you won't find me glued to the screen especially since the days of Felicity are over. One Tree Hill has become my teen soap opera fix and I'll watch Law and Order: SVU and Medium on occasion. On my list, shows are penciled in, not written in stone.

Check out my Reviewer's Manifesto by clicking on "Read more!"

What is a reviewer exactly? A reviewer is a reporter with an opinion. Harsh or kind, they speak their mind and tell it like it is. They provide the facts based on their own perspective and experience and hold nothing back. They aren’t out to trick you or make a buck. Like a good friend, they should be someone you can trust. Their job is to evaluate and critique. They judge and interpret so we don’t have to.

As an authority figure, they are familiar with their subject and are able to analyze and evaluate artistic or literary works. Their specialty is writing how they feel about theses subjects backing their feelings up with descriptive facts. The better their identification of the subject being reviewed, the more detailed their description, and the clearer their summary, the quicker we are as the reader to trust their opinion.

They take the time so we don’t have to. They spend the money so we can save ours. A reviewer possesses the art of criticism and as a connoisseur they are our source for an informed interpretation of books, art, performances, movies, television and music.