Redefining the Word “Hero”

In recent years, cosplay, a contraction or portmanteau of the words costume and play, has grown immensely.  Cosplay is the art of creating costumes and piecing together accessories to represent a character. One individual with a big heart has turned cosplay into a way to impact young lives.

During a recent episode of Carpe Diem, host Victoria Rosas, a TVDM major, sat down with cosplayer Adaina Velez.  Velez has become a major staple in the world of cosplaying for her innovative and creative designs. She also has won multiple awards for various cosplay contests and has been featured in several global magazines, television shows, podcasts, and panels. More recently, Adaina has become well known for her charity "Heroes", where she picks a child in need once a year and takes them on adventures built for a hero.

According to Wikipedia, “Cosplay costumes vary greatly and can range from simple themed clothing to highly detailed costumes. It is generally considered different from Halloween and Mardi Gras costume wear, as the intention is to replicate a specific character, rather than to reflect the culture and symbolism of a holiday event. As such, when in costume, some cosplayers often seek to adopt the affect, mannerisms, and body language of the characters they portray (with "out of character" breaks). The characters chosen to be cosplayed may be sourced from any movie, TV series, book, comic book, video game, or music band anime and manga characters. Some cosplayers even choose to cosplay an original character of their own design or a fusion of different genres.”

The episode was produced by DVR Productions, a student-based production company from Television and Digital Media’s TPC course.  It was hosted by TVDM major Victoria Rosas, and directed by TVDM major, Dante Giannetta.

Watch the Carpe Diem episode here.